Table of Contents
Ten Steps to a Bountiful Vegetable Garden x
Foreword xi
Introduction xiii
01 Choosing a Garden Site 1
Why Do You Want to Grow Vegetables? 2
What Do You Want to Grow? 3
Consider Your Climate 4
The Importance of Sunlight 7
The Water Source 8
From Lawn to Garden 9
City Gardening 11
02 Your Garden Layout 13
What Is Your Style? 14
Design Decisions 15
Pathways 17
Choosing the Right Vegetables 19
Consider What the Veggies Need 21
Placement of the Plants 22
03 The Garden Soil 29
What Is Soil? 30
What Is Your Soil Type? 31
Soil Testing: Is It Important? 33
Soil Nutrients 34
Do You Fertilize? 36
What Are Soil Amendments? 37
Soil Preparation 39
04 Veggies in Containers 43
The Advantages 44
Disadvantages to Container Growing 45
The Best Veggies for Containers 46
The Containers 48
Container Soil 50
Watering and Fertilizing 51
05 Raised Beds 55
The Benefits 56
What to Consider 57
Your Design 58
Building Your Raised Bed 59
Square Foot Gardening 61
Gardening with a Physical Disability 63
06 Greenhouse Gardening 65
Extend Your Growing Season 66
Protect Your Plants 67
Cold Frames 68
Plastic Tunnels 70
Glass Greenhouses 72
Greenhouse Maintenance 73
Best Veggies for the Greenhouse 74
07 Vegetable Seeds 77
Choosing Seeds 78
Starting Seeds Outdoors 79
Transplants: Buy or Start Your Own? 81
Caring for Your Seedlings 83
Saving Seeds 85
08 Salad Stuff 89
Lettuce 90
Celery 91
Oriental Vegetables 93
Salad Greens 94
Spinach 95
Swiss Chard 97
09 Brassicas 99
Broccoli 100
Brussels Sprouts 101
Cabbage 102
Cauliflower 104
Collards 105
Kale 107
10 Beans, Peas, and PerennialVegetables 109
Beans 110
Peas 112
Artichokes 114
Sun Chokes 115
Asparagus 116
11 The Root Veggies 119
Beets 120
Carrots 121
Potatoes 123
Radishes 125
Rutabagas and Turnips 126
Garlic 128
Leeks 130
Onions 132
12 Heat-Loving Veggies 135
Corn 136
Cucumbers 137
Eggplants 139
Okra 141
Peppers 142
Squash 144
Tomatoes 146
13 Tips for Raising Happy, Healthy Veggies 149
Crop Rotation 150
Companion Planting 151
Protecting Your Plants 153
Trellis and Staking 155
Compost and Manure Teas 157
Green Manures and Cover Crops 159
14 Composting Basics 161
The Benefits of Composting 162
Choosing a Bin 163
Composting Materials 164
Making Compost 167
Composting with Earthworms 168
Problem Solving 170
15 Easy Ways to Water 173
Hand Watering 174
Overhead Watering 175
Drip Irrigation 176
Signs of Underwatering 178
Signs of Overwatering 179
Combating Drainage Problems 180
16 Controlling the Weeds 183
Know Your Weeds 184
What Weeds Can Tell You 185
Weed Your Garden 187
Mulch: Does It Work? 188
Other Ways to Control Weeds 189
The Benefits of Weeds 191
17 Pests and Diseases: What Do I Do? 193
Find the Problem 194
Start with Healthy Soil 195
Good Gardening Practices 196
Keep Your Plants Healthy 198
Use Natural Controls 199
Harmful Pests Versus Beneficial Insects and Animals 200
Common Diseases 202
18 Harvesting Your Bounty 205
Harvesting Tips 206
Knowing When to Pick Vegetables 208
Storage Tips 211
Freezing Veggies 213
Canning Veggies 215
19 Top Gardening Tools 217
Choosing the Right Tool 218
Shovels 219
Garden Fork 219
Rake 220
Hoe 221
Trowel 221
Wheelbarrow 222
Garden Hose 222
Sharp Knife 223
Garden Gloves 223
Garden Journal 224
Cleaning and Sharpening Your Tools 225
20 Troubleshooting 227
Identify the Problem 228
Garden Concerns 229
Signs of Nutrient Deficiency in the Soil 231
What's Wrong with My Plants? 232
Specific Veggie Concerns 233
Vegetable Pest and Disease Identification 235
21 Organic Versus Nonorganic Vegetable Gardening 239
What is Organic Gardening? 240
The Organic Principles 241
The Benefits of Eating Organic 243
The Transition 244
22 Plan for Next Season 249
Did You Choose a Good Garden Site? 250
Did Your Plants Get Enough Sunlight and Rainfall? 250
Was the Garden Too Large or Too Small? 251
Did You Have Too Many or Too Few Vegetables? 252
Did You Have Pest Problems? 253
Were Certain Diseases a Problem? 254
Did You Have the Tools You Needed? 255
What Do You Want to Try Next Season? 255
Did You Have Fun? 256
Appendix A Web and Book Resources 257
Appendix B Glossary of Terms 261
Appendix C Vegetable Garden Recipes 269
Index 283
